While the 2013 NCAA Men's basketball Final Four provided fans with plenty of theatrics, the 2013 Champions League semifinals may turn out to be one of the best moments in sports this year.
With the UEFA final four set, an interesting and enticing possibility in this tournament is the fact that Real Madrid and Barcelona, 2 of the 4 teams involved in the semis, could potentially meet in the championship match.
Barcelona advanced to the semifinals on the strength of a Pedro Rodriguez game-tying goal in their last match with PSG. Sliding past the tough club from France thanks to an away goal aggregate, Barcelona now battles Bayern Munich with a trip to the final on the line.
Bayern arrives to the semifinals following their second victory over Juventus in a little over a week. Timely goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro paved the way for Bayern. The semifinal match with Barcelona has all the makings for a classic as Barcelona and Bayern are the two highest ranked UEFA Champions League teams in Europe. Barcelona last won the title in 2011 while Munich hasn't held the top honor since 2001.
The two will meet in the first leg of their semifinal series on Tuesday, April 23.
The second semifinal match-up features loads of history as well, starting with Real Madrid. Madrid won 5 titles in a row from 1956 to 1960 and their success as a club has continued to this day. Last winning a Champions League title in 2002, Madrid is poised for another trip to the finals.
Despite losing in the second leg of their match with Galatasaray, Madrid advanced to a record 24th semifinal because of the favorable aggregate. Led by the always dangerous Cristiano Ronaldo and a steady keeper in Diego Lopez, Madrid is one step closer to potentially winning their tenth Championship. Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in competition this season and will certainly be looked upon as someone who can lead Madrid to another title.
Madrid's opponents in the semifinal round will be Borussia Dortmund. In their first semifinal appearance since 1998, Dortmund reaches the final four thanks to a defeat of Malaga in the quarters. Goals in added time from Marco Reus and Felipe Santana in the 91st and 93rd minutes propelled Borussia back to the semifinal round. Their only championship as a club came in 1997 when they defeated Juventus 3-1.
The first leg of the 2013 UEFA Champions League semifinals begin in Germany on April 23rd and 24th. Second leg action will begin on April 30 with the Madrid vs. Dortmund match and will conclude as Barcelona battles Bayern Munich on May 1.
The championship is slated for May 25 at Wembley Stadium.
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